08/12/15 - Returning
to use are Ayats 2023 (Derry, after overhaul), Solo 1885
(Lisburn, replacing 1906), B7TL (Newcastle, after engine
repairs) and Scanias 736 (Duncrue Street as Engineering Float
vehicle), 708 (Magherafelt, replacing 1704) and 725
(Newtownabbey, temporary engineering cover). Buses detaxed at
the end of November are Scania L94 735 (Newcastle) and Irizar
1704 (Magherafelt , with accident damage). Solo 1906 has been
withdrawn from Lisburn after engine failure. Also gone from
the fleet is loan B5TL 2040 which has been returned to Volvo
Bus. B7TL 2923 has been received from Metro (again) and has
taken 2040s place at Newtownabbey. Also received from Metro
is Solo 1948 (Reserve), with Scania 713 (Reserve) going in
the other direction. 558 is the second Airbus Scania to be
reseated for normal use, it now being B49F+13. Vehicles sold
during November were charabanc conversion 5, now with Belfast
City Sightseeing and Solo 1924 to Tanker Exports, Belfast.
Delivery is currently under way of 12 Scania/ Caetano double
deck Goldline coaches, to be 2027-38, unusually with Armagh
registrations IXZ 1827-38.

12/11/15 - Returning
to use during October are L94's 736 (Downpatrick - temporary
replacement for 211) and 735/8 (Newcastle, again as temporary
engineering cover). 736/8 were detaxed to Reserve again at
the end of the month, along with Solo 1929 (Coleraine),
Olympiao open-topper 2000 (Coleraine - seasonal) and B7TL
2949 (Newcastle - with engine defects). Buses sold during
October were B10M's 1635/7/8 all of which went to Carolan
Coach Hire, County Meath.

20/09/15 - A number of
vehicles which had been detaxed for the school holidays were
returned to use in early August: 815/2828 (Dungannon),
352/64/506/11 (Magherafelt) and 2253/2881/2/3/7 (Newtownabbey
for rail replacement). Service changes at the start of
September has seen a substantial reduction of the fleet wth
all the remaining B10BLE's, the majority of the early
Scania's and a number of Solos being taken out of use:

Additionally Scanias 749/50/61/2/6/87 are in Active Reserve
status. Buses sold during August were former Newcastle towbus
Tiger 1183 to Hamill for scrap and Solo 1872 to JK Vehicle
Solutions, Larne.

27/08/15 - Volvo B9
2257 has gained an aoa for Brennans Bread.

11/08/15 - Vehicles
returning to use are 1723/811 (Lisburn), 2430 (Newry), 184
(Magherafelt), 422/45/1743/2935 (Newcastle), 496/7/8/9
(Foyle), 615 (GVS on loan to Glengall Street), 1727 (Larne),
2019 (Omagh) and 2977 (Enniskillen). Solos 1839/40/1 are now
in Reserve, previously with the Driving School, whilst B7TL
2978 is detaxed for the remainder of the holidays. Solo 1927
has moved from Larne to Coleraine in exchange for 1947, with
Sunsun 1770 moving back to GVS after it's loan to Glengall
Street. Also received at GVS is former Metro B7TL 2948.
Mercedes 0.405 artics 3101/2 have been sold to SOS Bus,
Belfast with 3100 going to Hamill for scrap. Volvo B7's
2996/7 will gain Airbus livery shortly to provide additional
capacity on the 300/A route as this will be diverted to serve
the Ballymartin P&R from September.

15/07/15 - Loaner Volvo B5 / Wright 2040 (BX14 SYT) entered
service at Newtownabbey on 17th June. Returning to use after
accident damage repair is Volvo B7R 396 at Newtownards. As
usual a large number of buses have been de-taxed for the
school holidays, with the full list being:-

Ayats 2010 (Foyle) was withdrawn on 8th June after catching
fire on the M22. On the move are Volvo B7 2923 from
Newtownabbey - Metro Short Strand, I4's 620/1 Magherafelt -
Glengall Street and B12B 1776 from Newcastle - Glengall
Street. New Route 373 (Ballymoney Town Serice) commenced on
1st July and provides a Monday - Friday replacement for the
previous Logans routes which were withdrawn at the end of
April.

14/06/15 - Metro B7s 2921/32/7 were reactivated at Lisburn
on 13th May and moved to GVS on 19th May finally returning to
Metro on 1st June. Similar 2922/9 have returned to use at GVS
and Newcastle respectively, along with Schoolrun 227 at
Ballymena after completion of accident repairs. B10BLE 2774
is now in Active Reserve at Foyle and 2807 out of use in
Reserve, whilst B12B's 1770/7 were loaned to Glengall Street
from 1st June. 1298/1692/1853/2008 and 2833 have gone to
Hamill for scrap, whilst 1632 has been sold to Carolan
Coaches, Nobber and 2830 to Walshs Coaches,
Monasteroris.

07/05/15 - Vehicles seasonally returned to use are Volvo
Olympian open topper 2000 at Coleraine, along with touring
coaches 113/5/128/9 at Glengall Street. Also returned to use
are Solos 1839/40/1 as mobile lecture room with the Driving
School. B7R 396 (Ards) is detaxed with accident damage, along
with B10BLE 2807 (Foyle) with engine defects. Solos 1842/5/8
have been sold to Tanker Exports, Belfast.

01/03/15 - Optare Solo M925SR 1935, allocated to Lisburn,
was delicensed to reserve at the end of February. Volvo
B10M/Alexander Q 1544 has been re-registered 94
MH 15022 with Carolan, Nobber, Co Meath. Volvo B7TL/Alexander
Dennis ALX400 2889, which had sustained roof damage after
colliding with a railway bridge at Helens Bay late in
the evening of 6 November, returned to service at Great
Victoria Street on 9 February. Volvo B7R/Wright Eclipse
SchoolRun B66FL 301 (OEZ 7301) returned to service at Omagh
on 1 March, on completion of accident repairs. Sold during
February were: Optare Solo M850 1846 to Valleyview Motors,
Dungourney, Co. Cork, similar 1850/3/4 to Tanker Exports,
Belfast, Leyland Tiger/Alexander Q 1500, the last
bus in the fleet to wear blue and ivory livery, to Shane
Pearce, Belfast, (as a non PSV), Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown
2823 to John Bradley, Scurlogstown, Trim, Co. Meath, similar
2766 to Hamill, Ahoghill (dealer) as scrap and 2770 to
Walshs Coaches, Monasteroris, Edenderry, Co. Offaly,
for further service. Also passing to Hamill, Ahoghill, were
Optare Solo M850 1868, as scrap, and the remains of
fire-damaged Scania K94IB/Irizar Intercentury 1692 and MAN
ND363F/Ayats Bravo 1 2008.

01/02/15 - Another Volvo B7TL/Alexander (B) ALX400
transferred from Metro is 2924, which took up duty at
Craigavon on 5 January. Optare Solo M850 1859 moved from
Coleraine to Lisburn around the same time. Scania
K230UB/Wright Solar Rural 568 returned to Foyle on 21
January, on completion of accident repairs.Volvo
B10BLE/Wright Renown 2778, which had been at Foyle replacing
accident-damaged Scania K230UB/Wright Solar Rural 568, moved
to Antrim on 26 January before being delicensed to reserve at
the beginning of February. Optare Solo M850 1869 is another
of the type now in reserve. It had been at Downpatrick. Volvo
B10M-62/Caetano Enigma 696 was sold to Connect Bus and Coach,
Primatestown, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, which company acquired,
from North West Bus Sales, Bolton, in December 2014, Volvo
B10M-55/Van Hool Alizée AC71D JAZ 3002, previously 3112 in
this fleet. Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 2780 went to Hamill
(dealer), Ahoghill for scrap. Optare Solo M850 1870 (SCZ
3870) was sold to Halpenny Transport, Blackrock, Dundalk, Co.
Louth, and has since been re-registered 03 LH 11246. Former
Ulsterbus Leyland Tiger/Alexander N RXI 3335,
used by the cycling club based at Metros Falls Park
depot, had been disposed of by January.

03/01/15 - Ulsterbus Tours delicensed its six Scania
K420EB6/Irizar PB 124-9 at the end of December. Also
delicensed seasonally was Volvo Olympian/Alexander (B) RH
2000 at Coleraine, while another of the oldest Optare Solo
M850s to reach the reserve fleet is 1854 at Newcastle. Scania
K114EB/Irizar Century 105 now carries Co Meath registration
number 03 MH 15236 with Carolan, Nobber. Their ex-Ulsterbus
Volvo B10M-62/Alexander Q 1524 was re-registered
94 MH 15021 in November. Volvo B10M/Plaxton Premiere 320 DAZ
1570 and EAZ 2574, previously 1570/4 in this fleet, were
acquired by York Pullman, Strensall, in December 2014 ex
Brown, Thorpe Arch. Leyland Tiger/Alexander N
1250 had passed to Mitchell, Manchester, by November 2014 for
continued preservation, ex Curry, Pinxton, Notts. Volvo
B10M-55/Van Hool Alizée AC71D JAZ 3003, formerly 3113 in
this fleet, was acquired by Westway, Raynes Park, in
September 2014 and re-registered 60 W the following month

01/01/15 - Seasons Greetings and a Merry New Year from
Irish Transport Heritage.